No remains found in well after SBI follows lead on missing-person case

CALDWELL COUNTY,N.C. — State Bureau of Investigation officials are searching for a body in connection to an old missing person’s case in Caldwell County.

Investigators said they are being careful about the information that led them to an old farm six years after the disappearance. They said it was a strong enough lead that they brought in a track hoe and started digging.

They were digging to get access to a 70-foot well underneath Ed Townsend’s home. The farmhouse was built in the late 1800s.

"I was surprised because why would anyone bring anyone in there from somewhere else? It doesn’t make sense,” Townsend said.

The SBI will only say that it was looking for the body of Michael Rustin, who was reported missing in Salisbury in 2009.

At the time, they believed he was possibly kidnapped by two men, but they never determined where he ended up.

After digging for hours, the SBI said it didn’t find any human remains.

Natasha Spencer credits the officers for not giving up on the case, despite the setback.

"It doesn't matter a period of time or how long they got to stay out here in the heat. They are busting their hind ends to try to get the job done,” Spencer said.

Investigators said they aren't giving up, hoping someday to provide answers and some closure to Rustin's family.

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